When Emily Gold worked for renowned wine importer Kermit Lynch in France and toured wineries with clients, the Boulder native's curiosity was piqued when she spied a couple of barrels tucked away or an extra plot of vines that went unmentioned.

After Gold pulled the winemaker aside to inquire, she was told "pour ma gueule."

The slang phrase, which translates to "for my mouth" or "for my trap," was uttered by winemakers who referenced a special stash of wine they kept aside for themselves, their family and friends.

"I like the idea that this is not the wine that is our business but the wine that we share with the people who matter to us," she said.

After two years at Kermit Lynch, Gold has returned home to Boulder and is infusing that sentiment with her longtime dream of running a wine bar in her hometown.

Gold's PMG Wine Bar — the name a nod to the saying — opens this afternoon at 2018 10th St. in downtown Boulder.

"It's like living in a dream," said Gold, while standing in the West End space formerly home to the now-defunct Beehive Restaurant. PMG came to life with the help of some sweat equity and a loan from a local bank, she said.

Gold credits her passion for wine to growing up with parents who were wine enthusiasts. Gold would have tastes of the different wines and develop an appreciation for the complex sensory experience the spirits embodied.

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"I just feel like it was so much a part of my life," she said.

After college, Gold took courses at the Court of Master Sommeliers, Frasca Food & Wine and Volio Vino. She eventually landed a job with wine importer Kermit Lynch's office in the Burgundy region of France.

"When I was 12 years old, my father would tell me that any time you see (a Kermit Lynch import) label on a bottle, you know that's a good wine," she said.

The wine industry in the United States continues to grow. During 2013, wine shipments within the country — from sources including California, other states and foreign producers — grew 3 percent to 375.2 million cases, according to data from the Wine Institute.

The industry trends bode well for PMG, but Gold is aware that she is trying where others have failed. Dedicated wine bars have sometimes not been successful in Boulder.

Gold, 27, is optimistic her approach aligns with industry trends: A younger population is enjoying wine, and the spirit is not relegated to dimmed lights and date nights.

Gold said her aim with PMG is to create a space where quality wine is not price prohibitive and relegated to club status. PMG was designed to be casual, unpretentious and comfortable where people of all ages and means could enjoy and learn about wine.

In addition to a couple of two- and four-seaters, the bar has a longer community table near the front. Complementing the exposed brick is a sprawling wine cork-based art installation designed by Gold's sister, Corissa.

The wine menu includes a few wines by the glass and bottles ranging in cost from $20 to $248 (for a bottle of Grange des Pères Vin de Pays de l'Hérault Rouge 2009).

The food menu includes dishes developed by chef Salvatore Proia, of the Bitter Bar and Brooklyn-based Roman's. The fare, with influences from France and Italy, includes snack and full dinners and prices ranging from $5 to about $24.

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